


Big City Girl

by LadyAmalthea



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Karaoke, Long-Distance Relationship, New York City, Past Domestic Violence, Past Relationship(s), Physical Abuse, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 10:21:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9543533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAmalthea/pseuds/LadyAmalthea
Summary: Wren is stuck. Stuck at her job, in her tiny apartment, and stuck dealing with her crazy ex-boyfriend. But...going out to karaoke that night was one of the best decisions she ever made.





	1. Karaoke Night

                After a long week of work, all I wanted was to get wasted at a karaoke bar in the West Village, sing my brains out, and go home and sleep all weekend. At least…that was the plan.

                I was sitting alone, in a barely crowded bar before the karaoke place opened, nursing some cheap martini while it was still happy hour. A few of my friends had to cancel joining me for the night, so I was working up the courage to go to sing karaoke alone. It wasn’t working. It’s not as fun by yourself, it just seems kinda awkward…

                I finished my drink, paid for my drink with a crisp Hamilton, and went out to the sidewalk. I stared at the karaoke bar for a second, and decided I needed a little more time before I could try to go in there. A few doors down was a great little comic book shop, so I decided to putter around inside for a bit. Going straight to the back, I looked for the erotica. A friend recommended a series, and I hoped that if I saw the name I would recognize it. I flipped through a few boxes with no luck… but did earn a weird glance from who I assumed was the manager in the back office.

                I moved to New York City a few years ago, trying to get into the music industry. Performing was never really on the table, production was too male-dominated, and so I settled for administration. Data entry, phone calls…the days seemed to go by pretty fast. But it was boring, to say the least.

                Damn, I wish I had some weed right about now.

                I waved to the girl behind the counter of the comic shop as I left, and decided to at least go into the karaoke bar. You don’t have to sing, and I sure didn’t want to in my state of mind. I recognized a few regulars; mostly older people who could afford to go more often and leave later because they lived much closer. My closet sized apartment in Queens was cheap, but not always convenient.

                I b-lined for the bar, ordering a strong whiskey sour, and sat at the edge of the bar. Even if I did sing, what the fuck _would_ I sing? Top 100 pop? Classic rock? Something complete different?

                “Hey, sorry, is anyone sitting here?”

                I turned around to see who wanted the empty seat next to me…and…fuck. I know him… what is going on?!

                “Uhhh… no one. Go ahead.” I turned back away after making eye contact for as long as I could withstand.

                “Thanks… hey Brian, there’s a spot over here!”

                This is not happening. It CAN NOT be happening. I decided to put all my metaphorical chips on the also-metaphorical poker table.

                “Can you watch my seat?” I asked the two of them. I was thankful the lights were so dim so they hopefully didn’t notice how hard I was blushing.

                “Hey, sure! Going up to sing?” Dan asked. I turned around and smiled briefly at him before asking the DJ for the song I wanted.

                Oh fuck. Oh fuck. What have I done??

                The opening guitar riffs from “Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways started. Sure, I cheated and only new the song because of _Guardians of the Galaxy_ … doesn’t take away from how awesome it is.

                “ _Can’t stay at home, can’t stay in school. Old folks say ‘you poor little fool’…”_ It was going pretty well, I thought. This is a song I had practiced for karaoke, although practice being a strong word considering it was in the shower. I put my own style on it and added melody to the “shouty” parts during the chorus. However, I certainly didn’t have enough alcohol in my system to properly process Dan Avidan’s face when I glanced over during the instrumental part before the second verse. His mouth was agape, and his soda sat untouched on the counter of the bar.

                “ _Hey street boy, want some style? Your dead end dreams don’t make you smile. I’ll give you something to live for: have you and grab you until you’re sore!”_

                I wrapped up the end of the song, and received a fair amount of applause considering it was mostly people who had already been drunk for a few hours. I stepped down to return to my seat, making my way through the now-growing sea of people. When I returned to my seat, Dan and Brian were gone and their drinks half-finished. I was little dejected until a familiar voice started singing into the microphone.

                “ _Dark in the city, night is a wire. Steam in the subway, earth is afire…”_

                Brian, of course, was there to provide harmonies; it was almost too perfect a song for them, and who doesn’t like Duran Duran? It was a hilarious, but amazing performance. They finished, Dan hollering and getting the audience worked up.  They high fived as they came back to their spot at the bar and gulped down their respective drinks. I sat on my bar stool: elbow on the counter, chin resting in my hand.

                “Can I get you guys each another drink?” I asked insistently.

                Dan turned to me, smirking but looking fake-hurt. “Hey, that’s my line!” The two of us giggled for a moment.

                “I don’t know about ‘hungry like the wolf’, but you both seem thirsty like a fish. How about it, Ninja Brian?”

                Fuck, why did I have to open my stupid mouth? The two of them glared at me for a moment, before Dan found the words to reply back to me. I probably should’ve waited before telling them…“Are you a fan?”

                I nodded, and took another sip of my drink. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. You guys have a good night.”  I pulled some  cash  out of my pocket to leave for the bartender, and started toward the exit. Although, I felt like I was wobbling a little more than I had prepared myself for. Wow, was I drunk now…

                “Wait, hang on…” Dan came up from behind me and grabbed my hand, pulling me through the bar up to the stage. My mind kind of blanked out for a moment, and soon enough I was on stage, Brian off to the side with my coat and purse, and Dan was next to me with a mic in his hand.

                “ _You were workin’ as a waitress in a cocktail bar when I met you…”_

                I couldn’t help but let a goofy grin plaster my face as he sang the beginning of “Don’t You Want Me Baby”. I swayed along as he belted out the first verse and chorus, and then pulled my hair tie loose right before I started my verse. My unnaturally wine-colored hair, which had finally started growing out since the last time I got it cut, bounced down onto my shoulders, and I ran my hand through it quickly to get a good 80’s looking side-part, but that was nothing compared to my duet partner’s. Let alone the fact that Dan’s dancing skills were even more impressive in person. We wrapped up the song, and stumbled off the stage as the next patron drunkenly climbed up.

                “Sorry for pulling you up like that…” Dan apologized, “I just had to sing with you. Fan or not, you’re incredible.”

                “Th-thanks… that means a lot to me. Umm…” I bit my lip while I thought of something intelligent to say. “I’m Wren, by the way.” Close enough…

                “Wren…uuhhh…” It seemed Dan was also having a hard time with speaking today.

                “Hey Dan, I gotta leave to meet Rachel at the hotel, let me know when you get back.” He reached over to hand me my belongings, and shook my hand. “Pleasure to meet such a cool fan… have a good night.” On his way out, he gave Dan a nod and a pat on the back.

                “Do you wanna go somewhere a little quieter?” Dan asked. “There are a few other bars around that didn’t look too packed.”

                I slipped on my jacket, “Lead the way,” I replied.

                Escaping the loud, dark, weird smelling karaoke bar, the two of you started walking down the block toward the park. “Are you a local, or a tourist?” He asked me.

                “I’ve lived here for a couple years since I graduated college. Working for a music management firm…but I’ve gotten pretty familiar with the city.” I paused… I already know a lot about him, but I didn’t want it to feel super one-sided. “So, what are you doing in town?”

                “Oh yea! We’re checking out some venues for potential shows next year… plus my nephew’s birthday is later this weekend.”

                “Awwww, that’s super sweet! Did you get him a gift?” I asked, hesitant to pry too much into his personal life.

                Dan smiled, “You know it! My sister said he wants to learn guitar, so I got him a nice acoustic and I’m going to help pay for a couple of lessons.”

                “Dude…that’s really sweet. You sound like an awesome uncle…”

                “I try… I feel bad I don’t see my nephews more, but it’s always great to come home.” The two of us stopped at the intersection, realizing that we had walked all the way to the park.

                “Wanna see if there are any swings open?” I asked, and was soon thereafter pulled across the empty street to the playground in the park.

                We talked for a little while, just swinging back and forth. I told him about my dinky apartment, how much subway fare had gone up in the past couple of years, the town where I grew up. He talked a bit about California and the Grumps… he seemed a little torn about which coast he was homesick for.

                I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and a little piano melody played as I pulled it out. “Wow… it’s almost midnight. This night has gone so fast.”

                “Do you…do you have to go?” He asked, a tinge of regret in his voice.

                I shook my head. “Nah… I have this alarm to make sure I don’t stay up to late on nights before work, I forgot to turn it of…” I clicked my phone back off and returned it to my pocket.

                “Shit, I should probably message Brian…” Dan reached behind him and pulled his phone out of his back pocket, and recited his message out-loud as he typed. “Heeyyy Brrriiannn…stiiilll ouuutt wiiiith Wreeeen, hoooow iiiis theeee hooooteeeelll roooom?”

                “Do you have to go soon?” I shuffled my feet a bit and pushed off the ground to swing a bit.

                “Nah, it’s all good. I’m still on California time so I’ll be up for hours…. Do you want me to escort you home?”

                I chuffed, “You probably don’t want to ride all the way out to Queens.”

                “Ew… maybe not… no offense!”

                Now I laughed out loud, “None taken! I hate it, but it’s cheap.” The two of you giggled for a moment, until the joke died down.

                “Do you…are you seeing anyone? Like romantically?” Dan asked, rubbing his mass of 80’s rocker hair.

                I shrugged, “I got out of a pretty shitty relationship like a year ago, haven’t really had time to go on dates or anything….he was a jerk anyway.” I caught myself scratching at my wrists, and stopped. I don’t think Dan noticed…

                “Sorry, I know how that goes.”

                I looked up, a little shocked. “Seriously? That sucks…are you...okay?”

                “Oh yea… nothing physical or anything…the usual problem is like the internet famous thing and being on a weird work schedule. I’ve really figured out that sometimes the most beautiful girls are the _biggest_ bitches.”

                I nodded, “I can see that… people can be so shitty.” Hearing Dan’s confession struck a chord somewhere in me, and I continued. “I don’t get how people can be so shitty! Like…if you like someone, why try to make them angry or upset!? Or even if you don’t like someone, what’s the fucking point of being mean? It doesn’t accomplish anything…” I took a deep breath. “Sorry… I have a low tolerance for terrible people. I’m really sorry you’ve had it rough, Danny.”

                “I’m fine now… thank you though.” He said quietly. I took in a huge yawn, covering my mouth and then rubbed my eyes a little to stay away. I nearly had forgotten I had been up since 5am. “Is someone getting sleepy?” Danny teased.

                I waved my arm a bit, “I’m fine, just been a long day. Been up for nearly 20 hours…”

                Dan chuckled, “Wow, sounds like you need some sleep… are you sure I shouldn’t escort you back?”

                I sighed. I would love for him to bring me back, but seriously didn’t want to put him out of his way. “I…I don’t know…”

                “Can I at least get you a coffee for your train ride back?” He offered, and I nodded. We found a 24-hour Dunkin Donuts and got some coffee. I really didn’t want to home just yet… but I was fading fast.

                “Man, I seriously miss this city, sometimes… It’s like 1 in the morning and it’s still just bustling with life!” Dan decreed optimistically.

                “I wish it didn’t smell like garbage and urine all the time…” I smiled.  Dan giggled as he sipped his coffee.

                “Hehe, yea…that too.” The two of us quietly sipped our drinks as we slowly approached one of the subway stations.

                “Thank you for the coffee… and singing with me at the karaoke bar…” I said. “And…I hope to see you when you guys come to perform in New York again.” I tossed my now empty coffee cup into a trash can. My face felt hot, despite the cold January wind, and I was a little breathless.

                “Of course! I… do you have to go so soon?” Dan admitted, quietly.

                “I mean I don’t have to, but I’d hate to fall asleep on you, and it’s a long train ride home for me…”

                Dan sighed…I wondered if he felt lonely since Brian was travelling with his family. I felt really guilty about leaving so soon… Suddenly, my hands were warm. I looked down to see his enormous hands holding mine. When I looked back up, he looked pale. I couldn’t tell if he was nervous or if it was nausea. My eyebrows furrowed on instinct, and I was now deeply worried about him getting back to the hotel…

                “Dan… a-are you all right?” He nodded, but I wasn’t convinced. I brought one of my hands up to feel his forehead. I checked his forehead for a fever, but he just smiled faintly and brought his hand up to mine, dragging the palm across his face and down to his jaw. He leaned forward, and planted a soft, sweet kiss on my forehead.

                “Would you…stay the night with me?” He asked, pulling me in for a hug. I nodded, which seemed more like I was rubbing my head against his chest, but he got the message.

                He flagged down a cab, and soon enough we were walking into the hotel where he and Brian were staying in. It wasn’t fancy-shmancy, but it certainly wasn’t a cheap hotel being that it was in midtown Manhattan.

                The caffeine had started to wear off by the time we got upstairs, but I still had some energy in me. We each freshened up, and sat on each of the beds and talked for a few more hours about our respective college experiences.

                “Wait… so which character did you play?”

                I burst out in a fit of exhausted, hysterical laughter. “I played Eddie, who is played by Meatloaf in the movie… he only shows up for like two songs, but it was awesome! For one performance I ditched the undershirt and just wore my bra and the leather jacket.”

                “That sounds hot…” Danny commented.

                “Probably wouldn’t look good on Meatloaf…” I giggled again until I realized Dan was silently staring at me with a calm smile. “Hello there.” I jokingly greeted.

                “Hey…thank you for coming back with me. I just…I don’t know… you’re really intriguing. There’s so much I wanna know about it.” He coughed quickly, “Not to sound weird…you’re just really beautiful and I…”

                “…You think I’m beautiful?” I didn’t mean to sound melodramatic. Sure, previous boyfriends had said I was beautiful, but coming from a ridiculously attractive man…it was a privilege.

                Dan looked over, a little apologetically. “Well, yeah… you’re freaking gorgeous AND talented, AND you’re really sweet… Honestly, I still don’t believe this isn’t a dream right now.”

                I let a small giggle escape, “You’re telling me…”

                We both jumped upon hearing a knock on the door. Dan jumped up to get answer it. “Wha- Oh, Hey Brian! What’s up?”

                “Hey, you never told me that you got back, and I heard some laughing.” Brian said sternly.

                “Fuck…sorry Brian…”

                “Just glad you made it back safe, man. So what’s so funny?”

                I sat up on the bed to look presentable. “Oh! Wren came back to the hotel with me!” I got up and poked my head out to say hello to Brian.

                “Hi…” I said kinda quietly.

                Brian smiled. “Hello again, Wren… well, keep it down, we’re starting to be Audrey to bed. Have a good night you two.”

                Both of us said “good-bye” pretty much simultaneously, and Dan closed the door again.

                “Wanna turn in pretty soon?” Dan asked, as he yawned and stretched backwards a little.

                I nodded, “Yeah, probably…” I echoed his yawn and started to take off my socks, earrings, and glasses. I glanced over at just the right moment to see Dan remove his t-shirt and shake his hair a little in one fluid motion. He noticed that I was watching in awe, and smiled. “Now I _know_ I’m dreaming… right?” I flirted.

                Dan messily folded his shirt and tossed it near a large, dark blue duffle bag by the window. “Hey Wren… can I ask you something?” He voice shook a little as he spoke, and I was all at once enormously nervous and excited.

                “Of course.” I replied simply.

                Dan approached me, kind of cautiously, and sat on the edge of the bed next to me. “May I please….please kiss you?”

                I tried so hard not to pant so audibly, it was getting really hard to breathe again…not to mention I was pretty much completely sober at this point. All I could do that nod gently, and state into his longing, brown eyes. Once or twice, looking down at his lips to make sure we were lined up probably. My heart was fluttering, almost painfully, in anticipation. In a flurry of sparks across my face, our lips met. It was short, but tender. We both drew away, gauging each other’s reaction, and then I leaned forward into him again for more. Our mouths danced around fervently; each kiss getting deeper and my mind wandered as my senses were overwhelmed. I needed to get my clothes off, ASAP.

                “Dan…” I managed to speak, but half-moaning with desire. “Do you mind if I… undress?”

                He continued kissing my cheek, unable to reply for a few seconds. “Please…” was all he said. It was difficult to stop kissing for the ten seconds it took for me go throw off my sweater, dress, and knee-long leggings I wore underneath. Thankfully, I thought to wear cute underwear.

                When I looked back, Dan’s face looked nearly expressionless, save for the hint of a smile formed by his gaping lips. It took less than a few seconds for me to suddenly become very conscious and a little embarrassed. I felt like a peasant in front of a handsome prince…

                “What’s that on your back?” Dan asked softly.

                “Oh...!” I turned away from him for a moment to give him a better look at the tattoo on my back. In a watercolor painting style, there was my namesake bird sitting on an olive branch. I stayed frozen, not sure how long he wanted to look at it, only to be startled slightly when he came up behind me and started to kiss my shoulder. As he made his way kissing up my neck, I couldn’t hold back a shudder that rippled through my body. I felt his lips vibrate as he hummed in lust with each kiss. Turning around, we locked eyes once more, and he gently pulled me back onto the bed.

                It wasn’t long before we were hungrily kissing again; and I had climbed on top of him. I ran my fingers through his thick hair, and he stroked my silhouette from my hips to my breasts. I had the dawning realization that…as much as I wanted this, it was going way too fast.

                “Dan…?” I asked, hesitantly.

                “Yeah?” he replied dreamily.

                “I… don’t know if I want to have sex… being that we’ve only known each other for a few hours.” I admitted, guiltily. His face looked hurt, and my heart dropped in regret.

                “Oh… okay.” He shifted backwards a little so he was sitting up.

                “No… Dan not like…. I’m sorry.” I tried shifting closer, but I knew I had screwed up by saying something. “It’s not that I don’t _want_ to… I just…”

                “Then… what?” Dan replied, sounding hurt.

                I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself from completely shutting down. “While I know who you are… we only just met tonight. I’ve never… I’ve never been like a ‘one night stand’ kind of person...” I started breathing more rapidly, panic creeping up. “I really, really like you… this has nothing to do with you or how magical this is, I just…  just no intercourse, right now.” I stared down at my hands, rubbing my wrists frantically. I barely even realized how tightly I had shut my eyes as I tried to calm myself down.

                “Okay, I gotcha… it’s all right.” Dan said, coming back over toward me. I felt his nose and lips brush my cheek, as I continued to steady my breath.

                “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” was all I could utter.

                “Shhhh… hey it’s okay….” His warms arms wrapped around me, and a flurry of relaxation swept through me. “I see what you’re saying, it’s totally fine. I didn’t mean to upset you, I just didn’t want to keep going until you said so.”

                With one last exhale, the last of my panic subsided. “Thank you.”

                “Of course! I… it’s your body. I got caught up in the moment. I’m really sorry.” Dan held me for a few more moments before I spoke up again.

                “I totally wouldn’t mind… giving you a blow job? If you want one, of course.” I offered meekly.

                Dan retracted his embrace to look at me straight on. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to…”

                “I’m sure.” I assured him, smiling. He smiled and nodded back, and I pressed gently upon his chest to lower him back down onto the pillows. I left a path of kisses from his lips, down his torso, and stopped at the top hem of his pants. I gingerly undid the belt, sliding it out of the loops and tossed it to the floor. As I continued to remove his pants, he stared at me intently, as if he were drinking in every movement with his eyes. I managed to get his pants and boxers off relatively smoothly, and then realized I was still wearing my own undergarments. I reached behind my back with my left hand, undoing the three small, metal clasps. With the last one, my bra snapped forward a little, and I reached my hands up to each shoulder to pull the straps off.

                Dan sat up slowly, “May I?” he requested. I nodded, letting my hands fall to my lap. He cautiously slid to straps off my shoulders, and I blushed hard as I removed the bra completely and tossed it on the floor with our other clothes. He enormous hands seemed to be perfectly proportioned for him to hold a breast in each of his hands. I softly moaned, breathlessly, and he massaged them.

                “Are your shoulders okay? They look kinda red…” he asked, his gaze still fixed on my now-exposed chest.

                “Hmm?” I looked down at one of my shoulders to see crimson imprints where the strap hand been. “Oh yea… they’re just a little heavy for my shoulders sometimes.”

                “Mmmmph…” he hummed as he pressed his face into the cleavage in the middle of my breasts, causing me to squeak out a soft moan. He laughed quietly for a moment, his fingers crawling towards each center for a little more stimulation.

                “Daaaaaann…” my heart was pounding, I could hardly stand it.

                “Would you mind…if…” he asked vaguely. I was confused for a moment, until he nodded his head between my chest and his crotch. I nodded, smiling. He lay back down as I positioned myself over his crotch, rubbing his dick between my breasts. I hadn’t gotten a good look at it until now…but wow… I desperately hoped this wouldn’t be the only time I got to see him like this.

                “Damn…please….nnnnnhggggg….” my lover stuttered as his pleasure climbed drastically. I couldn’t help but smirk, debating whether or not to talk dirty with him.

                “You look like you’re having a good time…anything else I can do?” I queried seductively.

                “Mouth…please… oh gods…” he gripped the blankets, his hips thrusting sporadically as he climbed toward climax. Nodding, I adjusted myself. I carefully avoided trying to put too much pressure on his legs, and ended up with his knees rubbing against the fabric of my remaining article of clothing.

                I sweetly dragged my tongue down his throbbing erection, leaving a moist trail. I heard him whine quietly as I came back up, and then took him into my mouth. His member was a little too large for me to take in fully, at least not to start; I began to lick the tip like an ice cream pop, and fondled the base with my hand to get him going. Dan continued mumbling happily, but quiet enough as to not disturb the neighbors on the other side of the wall.  I increased speed a little, and he seemed overwhelmed, so I stayed at a steady pace.

                “Wren…please…almost…” he begged. Moving my hands to his hips, I bobbed my head a little further to take more of him into my mouth. I included my tongue in the motion, flicking the tip every couple of moments. Dan reached behind him, and smushed a pillow onto his face to muffle a loud moan. I felt a quiver, and soon after his hot cum shot up and into my mouth. When he had finished, I sucked the top a little to make sure I got everything and swallowed it down. It was hot and salty, as I anticipated, but it was also a little sweet. I removed the pillow from his face. He was panting heavily, exhausted, but grinning widely.

                I shifted to the side, laying my top arm across him and put my head gently on his shoulder. “I take it… that you’re doing okay?” I asked after a couple of minutes of lying together.

                Still breathless, Dan nodded. “Oh yeah…”

                Both relaxed, we faded into sleep next to each other.


	2. More Than One Night

“Hey…Wren? You awake?” my eyes fluttered open. I saw Dan looking at me intently, and rubbed my eyes to meet his gaze.

                “Hi…ummm. Everything okay?” I asked absent-mindedly, still mostly asleep.

                “I gotta get up to start getting ready…” he said, a tinge of sadness in his words.

                I nodded, and yawned. “Mmmhmmm…” I rolled onto my back and sat up for a stretch. My neck was a little stiff, but otherwise I had slept pretty soundly.

                Dan laid out all of your clothes that had been on the floor, and the two of us got dressed in relative silence.

                “I don’t…” Dan broke the silence as he laced his belt through the loops in his jeans. “I don’t want this to be a one night stand.”

                My mouth opened instantly. “Really?”

                He finished fastened his buckle and sat on the opposite bed. “Yeah… I really like you, Wren, and… I would really hate for this to be the last time I see you. Ya know?” He smiled, and then grabbed his phone from the nightstand. “I also realize that I never got your number.”

                As I finished slipping on my clothes from the night before, I got my phone from my purse and handed it to him. He handed me his, and we put in our contact info.

                “Sweet! Are you doing anything later? We should be just about done early in the afternoon with concert venue searching.”

                “Sounds perfect, I need to go home and at _least_ change.” I scoffed at myself; I should also probably shower and water my plants.

                “Do you wanna get breakfast with us?” Dan offered.

                I shook my head, “Nah, that’s okay. Thank you, but I’m gonna need all the time I can get. I occasionally cook for one of my elderly neighbors, so I may need to do a grocery store trip.”

                Dan nodded, and we returned our phones to each other. “All right, but you’re missing out on some quality hotel-provided bagels.”

                We said quick goodbyes in the lobby, as Dan joined the Wecht family for breakfast, and I hopped on a Queens-bound train to get home. My heart was still fluttering; I was thankful I had downloaded some good music to my phone yesterday morning.

 

 

 

                I got up to my 3rd floor apartment, unlocking the door to toss my bag in, and then grabbed my keys to knock on the next door down.

                I rang the door chime, and knock a couple of times. I heard the familiar barking of my neighbor’s little dog, before the door opened to reveal Mrs. Langston. “Good morning, Wren! You look very rested; please, won’t you come in?” She offered.

                “Thank you, Bonnie.” I replied, stepping in. Her little shih tzu barked a few more times, and eventually settled down.

                “I made a short list for this week, since my son is coming to pick me up next Thursday for my birthday.” She handed me a chicken-scratch shopping list and a $20 dollar bill. I glanced over the list: I didn’t have the heart to tell her it usually cost more than what would give me, but this week it was pretty close.

                “You look very happy today, Wren. What were you up to last night?” Mrs. Langston prodded.

                I smiled, thinking about the night before. “I had a very lovely date after work. I’m seeing him again later today, actually.”

                The elderly lady clapped her hands together as she sat in her chair at the dining table. “That’s so wonderful, dear! You must tell me what he looks like!”

                “Well…” I started. I decided not to tell her that he was a famous guy from the internet who sang about dicks. “He’s very tall, lot’s a dark, curly hair… and he is a wonderful singer.”

                “Oooooh…” Mrs. Langston exclaimed. “He sounds lovely… I hope I’ll get to meet him!”

                “Me too…” I admitted. What… was going to happen? Am I just a fling? But if we did date, how would we make it work. “I’m going to go down and get these. Do you mind if I use your hand cart? Mine’s been giving me trouble.”

                She nodded. “Not at all! You might as well have mine with how often you have to use it!

                I waved ‘goodbye’, grabbed my wallet from my apartment, and made my way down the stairs with the cart. Halfway down, I heard my phone go off.

                **Danny: Hey! Did you make it back okay?**

                I smiled. Once I reached the bottom of the stairs I replied.

                **Me: Yup! Got back a few minutes ago, getting my neighbors groceries.**

**Danny: Awww, nice! Once we finish up I’ll let you know what our plan is for dinner. That ok?**

**Me: You got it, Avidan.**

                I slid on my headphones, and walked down a couple blocks to the bigger grocery store. It was a chain, but cheaper and had a few more options. My fridge, I realized, was also poorly stocked, so I had to pick up a couple of things.

                I went through the list with each aisle: milk, English muffins, strawberry jam, ground turkey, carrots, and bran cereal. I also got some milk, eggs, beans, and chicken for myself. After what seemed like forever, I was finally checked out and started back to my building. Once I unlocked the door to the building, I realized that my phone had gone off a few more times.

                **Danny: So boooooorrrereedddddd.**

**Danny: I think we know which venue we’re going with, but we gotta check with our manager**

**Danny: How’s the shopping?**

**Danny: Can you pick up some skittles for me?**

                I laughed a bit through my nose, and replied quickly while I waited for the elevator.

                **Me: That’s awesome! And yeah I can. Any flavor preference?**

**Danny: Original plz :D**

**Me: As you wish** , **; )**

One elevator ride later, I dropped off my bags of groceries before bringing the rest to Mrs. Langston, who thanked me with a couple of her famous oatmeal cookies. I put away my own groceries, and then finally began getting myself taken care of. Showered, shaved, teeth and hair brushed, and most importantly, clothes changed. I traded my dress for a sexier outfit than something I wear to work. I flowy black skirt, lace up boots, and a dark red, low-cut top. Also important: I grabbed a small bag to bring a change of clothes…. Just in case.

                **Danny: You don’t actually need to**

**Danny: But if you do that would be awesome!**

**Danny: Can you meet us around 4 outside the hotel?**

It was already pretty close to 2pm, so it’s a good thing I was already pretty much ready. I still had to make Mrs. Langston a few meals, so I got my bag ready and left it by my door to grab when I was done.

                I knocked on her door again, and helped her set up her slow cooker for turkey meatballs, and set a pot of water on the stone to steam the carrots so they were softer for her. I peeled the carrots, setting them in a steam basket while the water heated up, and listened to her usual gossip about her friends. It was usually very amusing, kind of like a weekly soap opera about old people. I blanched the carrots for a minute or so, and then packed them away in a container. Glancing at the clock, I felt bad for having to leave so soon.

                “Will you be able to get the meatballs out all right?”

                “Oh yes, dear. Now you go have fun with that boy! And be safe!” she winked at me as I closed the door behind me, dashing for my own apartment door. I grabbed my bag, and bolted down the stairs.

                As I approached the last set of stairs, I looked at the bottom and froze.

 

                My ex stood at the bottom, looking up.


	3. Closer Encounters

“You’re dating again, huh?”  my ex-boyfriend blurted.

                Anger started welling up inside me. “Who told you that?”

                “Mrs. Langston told my landlady over the phone.” He replied, matter-of-factly.

                I huffed, and cautiously descended the stairs. “Matt, I gotta go…” As I tried to pass him, he grabbed my arm roughly. “Shove off!” I threw my shoulder at him and he let go.

                “I’ll always be your first Wren.”

                “You’ll always be my first mistake. Please don’t come here again.” I walked away from him hastily, making my way for the train.

                Luckily, he didn’t seem to be following me, so I took a moment to set up some music for the train ride into midtown.  When I came back up out of the subway, it was only a few blocks to the hotel. I saw Dan waiting outside, and waved when he noticed me.

                “Wreeeeeennn!! You made it!” he threw his arms up and pulled me in for a hug. I snuggled into him, pushing up onto my toes to kiss his cheek.

                “Of course! So what’s the plan?” I chirped.

                “Gonna go to an Italian restaurant that Brian recommends…and then maybe a jazz club that’s around the corner from here?” he asked.

                I couldn’t help but smile, “Dude, that sounds awesome! Are we going now? Seems a little early for dinner…”

                Dan shook his head, and you began following him into the lobby. “Nah, Brian’s little girl is taking a nap, but we can go upstairs and maybe hang around for a bit?”

                “Sounds great,” I replied. I vaguely recognized the way back to Dan’s room as we went up and down one of the long, carpeted hallways. He unlocked the door with a card key, and held it upon for me.

                “Why, thank you, kind sire!” I joked.

                Dan giggled, following me in and shutting the door gently.

                I started setting down my stuff when he pulled me in for a kiss. I gasped initially, and then settled into his embrace, returning the sentiment. “Mmmmmph…” I moaned into his mouth.

                We gently broke apart, “God, I have been waiting too many hours to do that again.” He whispered, he face still pressed against mine.

                “Me too…” I confessed. “I…” Part of me was debating telling him about my ex who randomly showed up, but I didn’t want to ruin the mood. “Uhhh, nevermind.”

                “Oh…okay.” He seemed a bit confused, but pushed it aside. “So… I saw you brought a bigger bag… is someone planning on staying the night?”

                I rolled my eyes a little, shrugging my shoulders. “Maaaaaybe… if a gentleman invites me to, I would very much like to be prepared.”

                “Well,” Dan took my right hand into his own, kissing the knuckles. “I would very much enjoy the company of a beautiful young lady, such as yourself.”

                I stifled a giggle, and we decided to just hang around and chat until Brian knocked on the door. It was very difficult not to be too loud, but Dan told me some wonderful stories about the Game Grumps, and I was completely intrigued.

                Just before 5, we heard a knock, and joined Brian and his family out in the hallway. After some quick introductions, our small group walked a few blocks to the restaurant that Brian recommended.

                “So Wren, where did you say you worked?” Brian asked as we made our way down the street.

                “Oh, I don’t know if I ever said… I do administrative work for a management agency! It’s mostly classical performers, but…”

                “Wait, like a music agency?” Dan asked. I felt awful for not telling him before…

                “Uhhh, yeah! It’s a lot of orchestra members, a few vocalists, and some composers. It’s not an ideal job, but it’s at least in the music industry.”

                “That’s really cool!” Brian said, turning his attention back to Audrey (who was very excitedly zig-zagging around the sidewalk).

                “Woah, Wren… that’s really cool, I didn’t know you were in ‘the biz’.” Dan made air quotes with his fingers.

                “Yeah…” I started to explain. “I’d love to be a manager or do event planning, but I’m pretty happy where I am for the moment.”

                Brian waved us down in front of a small, but beautiful, doorway into the restaurant. We split two family-sized pasta dishes, and we adults enjoyed a nice glass of wine while Audrey gulped down chocolate milk.

                Danny and I said goodnight to the Wechts, who were off to see “The Lion King”, and we made our way to the jazz club that Danny had found…only to discover that it had closed about a year ago.

                “Well… uuhhhh… I have no other plans made. Wanna head back a little early?” Danny offered.

                “I guess so… mind if I stop at that liquor store we passed? A night in like this deserves some nice dessert wine.”

                “You got it!” We walked back toward the hotel, stopping at a small liquor store for a bottle of cheap wine and some vodka, and then made our way back to the room.

                As soon as you got in, Dan flopped face-down onto one of the beds. “Mmmmmmh hhhfffmm mffmmm?”

                “What was that?” I replied, setting the wine in the fridge and cracking open the vodka.

                He dramatically turned his head sideways. “Wanna pick a movie?”

                I giggled, “Sure… but it has to be something one of us hasn’t seen.”

                Dan blew a raspberry with his lips, like a horse. “That’s a weird disclaimer…”

                I shrugged, and we started scrolling through the on-demand list through the hotel’s TV. We settled on an action rom-com “Mr. Right”, and settled on one of the beds together as we watched and sipped vodka sodas.

                While the movie was funny, we ended up chatting through most of it… a little bit more than the night before. Family, careers…ex’s. Then…something dawned on me.

                “Hey Dan… what’s going to happen when you leave tomorrow?”

                “I-…” Dan went quiet, and was lost in thought for a minute or so.

                “Dan…?” I addressed him again. “Don’t get me wrong, I love this, and I love spending time with you… I just need a heads up if this… ya know…”

                Dan nodded. “Yeah… no I see what you’re saying. Honestly I… kinda forgot.” A quick smile flashed across his face, and then faded. He took in a deep breath, “fuck… I don’t want to… I don’t want to string you along or make you deal with any long distance shit….”

                I sat quietly for a moment. What did I even want or expect? I wondered if it would be worth it… but looking at his face just made me inexplicably happy. Getting to know him, and not the persona of Sexbang or his public image… I decided that it would be worth it for me. No harm in trying, right?

                “Do you want to try?” I asked, a bit monotone. He looked over at me, a little surprised. “I mean… it’ll suck. We could give it a test run, though. If we get to a month, and it doesn’t seem to be working out… we can call it off. No strings, no regret… and maybe try again if we want.”

                Dan nodded, “That doesn’t sound too bad…Yeah. All right. Live in the moment, see where it goes.” His charming smile returned to his face. “I’d love for you to come out to LA sometime… it’s really beautiful.”

                “Well its’ gotta be, if you’re there,” I said, winking.

                He gasped, “You are TOO smooth, young lady.”

                I glanced over at the clock; it was highly unlikely that we were going to be going back out for the night. “Do you mind if I change into some sweatpants or something?”

                “Heck no, please do!” He replied, both of us sliding off the bed to our respective bags. I pulled out a lacy camisole and sweatpants. I cursed to myself for forgetting toiletries, but hotels usually have all that stuff, anyway.

                I removed my top and skirt, and got halfway through my leggings until I saw Dan pull out one of the silky robes he wore in some of the NSP videos. My inner fangirl was still convinced that I was dreaming. Once I finished changing, I turned to see that the silk robe wasn’t all that Dan was wearing. He had also slipped on a pair of baggy sweatpants, and sat in the chair by the desk. He had a brightly colored, plastic pipe sticking out of his mouth with his legs crossed.

                “That look would only be complete,” I said, “if that pipe blew bubbles.”

                Dan took in a quick breath and revealed that the pipe did not in fact blow bubbles; however, it was a kazoo. He trumpeted a little fanfare, causing me to nearly cough as I giggled.

                “You are the hottest, but also dorkiest man on the planet…” I commented, crossing my arms in front of me.

                He wiggled his eyebrows for a moment before setting the pipe back in his bag and standing up for a big stretch. “I’m kinda checked out of this movie… wanna switch to something else?”

                I nodded, “Yeah… ummm, maybe just some music and cuddling?”

                “You got it…” Dan exclaimed, pulling out his laptop and opening Spotify. After selecting a playlist of 80’s rock music, he jumped onto the bed next to me, wrapped his arms around me, and body-slammed the both of us into the pillows.

                “Oooof! Careful, I’m fragile!” I managed to request in between giggles, which were promptly cut off by Dan’s lips pressing hard against my own. “Mmmmf…” I hummed quietly as he rolled on top of me, continuing to passionately kiss me.

                It was a good thing the Wecht’s would be at that show for a few hours… because we were having a hard time being quiet about our intimacy

                Dan interrupted contact between our lips to carefully graze the skin of my neck with his teeth, sending shivers down my spine. My arms wrapped around his neck, I was loudly panting for more. I scratched his neck with the tips of my nails, and then drove my fingers into his mass of hair.

                Working his way down, he hands began squeezing my breasts, and then stopped the moment his face reached them. “I’m afraid this just won’t do… may I?” he offered coyly.

                I nodded and closed my eyes, trusting him to take off anything and everything on my body. He started with lifting my shirt off, and tugging away my sweatpants. Then, reaching around behind my back, which I arched to make it easier, he fiddled with the hooks until my bra was loose. Dan’s excitement caught up with him, and he tore the bra off my body so fast I was worried one of the straps would whip him in the face. He fondled my chest meticulously before lowering his head down to take one of my nipples into his mouth. I gasped, moaning and breathless, the rush of adrenaline building as his nibbled turned to harder bites. He went back and forth between both of them, making sure they were played with equally.

                “D-dan… fuck…” I muttered.

                “Yes, dear one?” he growled into my ear.

                “I…want you…badly.” My cheeks were flushed, and hot to the touch.

                “Want me…how?” he smirked, lowering his voice further.

                “Would you… fuck me?” I replied, fake-innocently. He kissed my neck once more, and reached his hand down to the remaining clothing left on me. Curling a few fingers around the elastic band, he dragged my lacey, black panties down and past my ankles. Stroking his hand up my leg, he moved inward and stopped right at my partially trimmed crotch.

                “Are you sure?” he checked on last time. My eyes still shut; I nodded again, and gripped the pillow behind my head in anticipation.

                He started so simply, just stroking a finger down into the corner of my closed legs, and then slowly increased to two, three, and four… Just past my knees, Dan knelt before me, a whisper of a smile creasing his lips. He gingerly brought his hands under each of my knees, lifting my legs up and outwards.

                I couldn’t stand looking at his face, I just heard him hum lovingly before leaning in. It was a lovely moment of just pure ecstasy and lust, feeling his mouth dance around the folds of my vagina, I breathed heavily.

                “Dan…please…” I whined. Lifting my legs up a little again, I felt him press up again my dripping opening; his member throbbing with hunger. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and leaned over. Confused, I opened my eyes to see him reaching into the drawer of the end table for a condom, and put it on hastily.

                Teasing my entrance, both of us were tense and nervous. My breath hitched when his member started to dig into me, and he hesitated and seemed to be watching my every mannerism. I nodded, ready for more, and practically wanted to scream in lusting relief once he had fully entered inside me.

                His jaw was locked in concentration, only emitting grunts as he slowly gyrated his hips as the friction caused us both to lose our senses. With increasing speed, we were both loudly breathing and I was barely able to hold back moaning loud enough for the lobby to hear us.

                After what seemed like an eternity like that, Dan slowed down a little. “Do you ….want to… switch it up?” he asked in between breaths.

                “Anything in mind?”

                Beaming, he pulled out, and took my hand as he rolled onto his back and adjusting me on top of him. I leaned forward a little, so our loins were lining up again, and bunched up a fist full of blanket in each hand as I moved my hips up and down.

                “Fuck…fuck…Wren…please…” he gasped wantonly.

                “Please…what?” I replied distantly, still mentally wrapped up in the exquisite pleasure.

                He reached his hands up onto his chest, and took my hands in his and synchronized with the rhythm I had started until his grunts became louder and more desperate. “Hold on…” he shifted again, this time pushing me off and flipping me over so my face was buried into the massive pile of pillows. He got adjusted much more quickly, and started to pound into me before I knew it. I finally released a loud scream into the pillows, my orgasm following soon after. My head felt light and shaky as he continued to thrust into me. I gasped out a few residual moans as I felt another wave of pleasure hit me, which set Dan off into his own climax.

                “Fffffuuuucckkkk….”  He coasted to a stop after his orgasm, removing the condom into a tissue a spooned next to me, naked and sweating. He was out of breath, and sounded like he was having difficulty.

                “Do you…wanna take a shower together?” I offered. Dan only nodded in reply, and exhaustedly stumbled to the bathroom, and I trailed along behind him.

                We took a pretty quick (and kinda chilly) shower, just to rinse off, and then returned to snuggling together on the bed.

                “You’re amazing, by the way.” Dan said softly. “You gotta warn a guy that you’re great in bed, would ya?” he teased.

 

 


	4. Here Comes Trouble....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: This chapter has violence, read at your own risk

                _Matt and I dated for a few years, starting after our senior year. We both went to New York City for college: I went to a state school while he went to a private school. I never understood how his family put down so much money for his rent, but the high tuition was all in loans. We were broke but pretty happy… for a while. H_

_Then…after two semesters, he changed. He started going to the gym with his buddies, losing weight but started to gain muscle strength. He was reckless, and a pot head. He got caught at school, and everything was tossed out. I would visit him often, but worked hard to earn good grades. He graduated after two years, and worked small odd jobs, sharing a place with one of his friends._

_After I graduated, we were going to move in together, but when he refused to help with the down payment, I gave him an ultimatum. He…didn’t take it well._

                _“You fucking cunt!” Slap. “How fucking could you?” Slap._

_I sat helpless, gripping through the pain to the edge of the mattress that sat on the floor in my new apartment._

_“Matt… I told you it’s over. Please… leave.” I couldn’t even bring myself to cry anymore, whether from fear or exhaustion._

_“NO.” He painfully grabbed my wrist and dragged my body up so we were face to face. “You can’t do that to me! You’re **nothing** without me!” Slap._

_“GET OUT NOW.” I yelled, my patience gone. Slap. I was shoved back onto the bed._

_“I tried to be good for you…” he growled. “I waited for you finish your fucking degree, and I waited for you to agree to move in together.” He picked up a vase I had set on my dresser while unpacking and threw it at one of the walls._

_“Stop!” My futile plea was ignored._

_“I was there for you through your mother’s death, and I was there when your last boyfriend dumped you.” He shut and locked the bedroom door._

_“Matt, please…” I scrambled off the bed and up against the corner._

_“And you think you can just end it? Just throw me away, when before you CRAWLED back to me? Well, I say when it’s over… and I’m not done with you!” He stomped across the room toward me, and I turned away, cowering. While I screamed, he overtook me in strength and held my hands painfully behind my back by the wrists. “And it’s not over until the fat girl can make me cum.”_

                “Wren? You okay?” Dan asked.

                I snapped back into reality, angry that such a terrible memory was replaying in my head after such an amazing evening.

                “Mmhmm…” I nodded. I flipped onto my other side so we were face to face. “Sorry, lost in thought,” I half-lied.

                We quickly drifted off to sleep, letting the 80’s music play quietly.

 

                _WOOOOAAAAHHHH WE’RE HALF WAY THERE!_

_WOOOOOOOOOOH! LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER!_

Dan and I bolted awake at the sound of his morning alarm. Once we calmed down and had a laugh, we started getting dressed. Dan’s plane wasn’t until later in the day, but they were all going to New Jersey for a couple of hours first for his nephew’s birthday. We had breakfast with the Wecht’s, and I stayed around until their ride showed up.

                It felt too fast and surreal, loading their bags into the trunk and then the sudden realization that we were saying goodbye… and neither of us knew how long it would be until we met again.

                “Thank you for, well, everything, Danny.” I could feel my eyelids stinging, trying my hardest not to cry.

                Dan brought me in close for a hug, “I should say the same. This has been unbelievably... I don’t know. It’s like magic.” His voice cracked, and he kissed my cheek tenderly. “Keep in touch… one month starts now, right?”

                “Oh yea,” I was not looking forward to a dull, dreary January. “Get home safe,” I insisted.

                “He will,” Brian interjected. “It was lovely meeting you.” Brian gave me a quick hug before hopping into the mini-van.

                Dan stepped backwards toward the cab, “I… I’ll call you every day.” He said, waving goodbye.

                “Please do.” I returned the wave as the door slid closed, and I watched them drive around the corner toward the Lincoln Tunnel, and I went back to Queens.

 

 -- -- ---- ---- ----------- -- - 

                _The following Friday…_

 

 

                “Wreeeennnn!!! Hello beautiful, how was work? It’s the weeekeeeenddd!!!!” Danny yelled happily through FaceTime. 

                “Heeey, I’m good! Had to work late, but all’s well! How’s the Grumping, going?”  You set your bag down and let the heavy apartment door close loudly behind you.

                “Oh yeah, all good here! Oh shit, hang on, I don’t think we’ve FaceTimed while I’ve been at the Grump office….” The camera feed switched to a large office space. “Everyone, say hi!” A medley of “hi’s” and “hello’s” echoed through your phone, and then the video switched back to Danny’s face.

                “Dude… that place is freaking huge!” I continued to walk around my apartment, getting settled in for the night, bringing my phone with me as I placed an order for pizza delivery. “Probably bigger than my itty bitty apartment.”

                “ _New York, New York, it’s a wonderful town!”_ Dan sang, both of us giggling.

                We started out just calling each other each night, but after a couple nights we figured FaceTiming was just easier (and more fun). I saw the apartment that he and Barry shared, joined him on a few morning commutes, but I finally got to join him while he was at work. He gave me the grand tour, before he had to leave to record a few episodes.

                I opened my laptop to browse around the internet, checking social media, scouting eBay, and of course…watching _lots_ of Game Grumps. It made my heart flutter a little, just hearing his laugh and joke around.

                A little bit later, there was a knock at the door. I set my laptop down to answer it, hoping it was pizza. But, it was to my surprise to find Mrs. Langston and her daughter at my door. “Hi, Bonnie! Have a lovely birthday, this weekend!”

                Mrs. Langston stepped forward a bit, with help from her cane, to give me a quick hug. “You be good now… oh! I meant to ask, how is that boy you saw last week?”

                I smiled, “he’s good. He was only in town for the weekend, so I may not see him for a while… but he calls me every night.”

                “Ohhhh… how sweet.” She kissed my cheek, and waved good-bye. “Take care dear! Stop by on Tuesday, I’ll need a new carton of milk when I get back.” Her daughter smiled, and thanked me quickly before they both started down the stairs.

                I re-locked the door, sighing, wishing the pizza would arrive sooner. A few minutes after I finally got comfortable on the couch, there was another knock at the door. “Geez finally…” I said outloud, grumpy that my pizza took so long. When I opened the door…it wasn’t pizza.

                I immediately tried to slam the door, but Matt’s large hand blocked it and entered, with one of his friends following close behind.

                “Get out… get out of my apartment!” I threatened. As I was backed up into the living room, I dashed for a dagger that I hung for decoration (but was now very happy that I had). Unsheathing it, I gripped it and pointed it toward the two goons who were fast approaching.

                Matt, and his friend, looked unimpressed. “So where’s lover boy, huh? Or did you whore yourself out for the weekend last week?” he sneered.

                “What…the fuck… even goes on in your head? NO! He took me out to dinner, and that’s it! He was only in town for the weekend, and nothing happened!” I defended. Sure, I was lying, but he didn’t need to know my business.

                “SHUT UP!” Matt yelled loudly, taking a large, threatening step toward me. In panicked clumsiness, I dropped the dagger and it was kicked to the other side of the living room.

                Panic was starting to creep in; I honestly had no clue what to do.

                Matt grabbed one of my wrists, and before he could say anything I punched him in the jaw with my free hand. “Please leave. Just go. If you go now, I won’t call the police…” Both of them chuckled hoarsely, and then advanced in on me. They each grabbed one arm and slammed me against the wall. I yelped in pain, the light switch bruising part of my back ribs. My sweater was cut off with a dull pocket knife, and they proceeded to slap and bruise my chest and stomach. I screamed and cried openly, my wrists aching from trying to fight back. After what felt like hours, a neighbor started banging on the door and called from the hallway that he had called the police. The two brutes left roughly, dropping me to the floor. I got up painfully, wrapping myself in a blanket that was on the couch to approach the neighbor who made the call.

                “They’re already downstairs; those two will be arrested the second they get down… are you okay?” It wasn’t a neighbor, it was the superintendent. “Mrs. Langston asked me to watch her dog this weekend, and I called as soon as I heard that guy’s voice…” Both of you were startled by the sound of fighting in the lobby downstairs. The super shook his head, “what an ass, I’m so sorry Wren. Will you be all right? The officers may want to have a word…”

                I nodded, “Yeah… I’ll talk to them for a bit.” The super waited with me for a few minutes while a very sympathetic officer took down notes about the incident.

                “We’ll make sure those two get what’s coming. I’ll personally see that bail is not an option, they are going to court.” He tipped his hat, “Good night,” and descended the stairs, with the superintendent right behind him. I gave the super my $15 for the pizza delivery guy, and he returned upstairs with my pizza.

                “Take it easy, kid. Call if anything happens.” He said.

                I stepped back into my apartment, dropped the pizza on the counter, and broke down sobbing. My body ached, my wrists hurt painfully, and I could feel my heart struggling to keep up with my breathing as I cried. I heard my phone ring from the other room, and I ignored it for a few minutes. I sat on the floor of the kitchen, trying to collect myself, until I heard it ring again. I worked up the stamina to answer it, and almost felt like smiling when I saw that it was Danny. I hit the green circle that popped up, not realizing it was a video call until it was too late.

                “Hey ba- SHIT! What happened?!” Dan’s voice dropped an octave in concern.

                I clicked a button to switch myself just to voice, “Dan, I… I need to call you later, I’m sorry.” I hung up on him before he could say anything else, and collapsed on the couch, crying in pain and anxiety. I was curled up in a ball for almost a half an hour before I checked my phone again.

                **Danny: Please tell me what happened**

**Danny: Wren I’m scared**

**Danny: Please call me back**

                Now that I had stopped crying, I hit redial and called Dan. I didn’t even care if it was a video call, he already saw enough.

                “Sorry…”

                “No no no, please, don’t be sorry, just tell me what happened and what I can do?” Dan requested desperately. He started fiddling with some tangled headphones to connect to his phone so it was private.

                “My ex…he… I was expecting a pizza delivery so I opened the door when I heard a knock at my door and he came in and…” I wiped away small tears that started to form.

                “Did he hurt you, like, physically?” he asked.

                “Yeah, but…”

                “Should you go to a hospital?”

                I shook my head. “I have some bruising and it’s painful, but, I’ll be okay without seeing a doctor.” I realized that I really was still shaking.

                Dan was silent, his face a mixture of fear and sympathy. “I’m…sorry. I can’t really do anything to help, can I?”

                I took a quivering breath in, “I don’t think so…but… can you stay on for a little longer?”

                “Yeah… of course.” Dan stayed on the video call for about ten more minutes before he had to go do some work… leaving me alone again. Terrified, I slept on the couch with the TV and the volume low. While I didn’t sleep deeply, tomorrow was the weekend and I could stay in all day.

 

                I woke up on the couch, drowsy, sore, and thoroughly irritated. I decided the night before that I would confront Mrs. Langston and ask her not to talk about me with my ex’s grandma, but finding the guts to do it was a whole other story.

                I unwrapped myself from the warm throw blanket and made myself some breakfast while I checked out some emails. After a few minutes, I realized that Danny had texted me while I was asleep.

                **Danny:** **Hey, hope you’re feeling okay…**

**Danny: I realize you’re probably asleep, hope I don’t wake you**

**Danny: How soon could you take a week off of work, by the way?**

**Danny: Asking for a friend ; )**

I smiled… since the holidays just passed, probably not much. Maybe around February? I opened up the calendar on my phone, looking to see when Presidents’ Day was, since I had it off anyway.

                **Me: Hey, you didn’t wake me up, I only just got up**

**Me: Although, you’re probably asleep right now, so we’re even?**

**Me: In regards to your friend, I might be able to take time off in February…**

Since Bonnie wasn’t home this weekend, I spent the day doing a much-needed deep clean of my apartment. I blasted a mixture of showtunes and Starbomb music as I scurried around doing this-and-that. Scrubbing the kitchen stove, mopping the tile floors in the kitchen and bathroom, paying some bills; while it wasn’t exciting, it was certainly relaxing. Early in the afternoon, I finally got a message back from Dan.

                **Danny: mmmorning**

Directly after the greeting was a picture of a very tired looking Dan.

                **Me: Good morning, sleepy.**

After another half-hour of puttering around and cleaning, I got a response back.

                  **Danny: How are you feeling? Also February sounds good. Let me know when you get the time office and I’ll divulge my secret plan.**

**Me: I’ll keep you posted, lol. I’m feeling all right I guess. A lot of nervous energy, but taking it out on my chores…wanna pick which game I should play later? I need a distraction.**

**Danny: Ooooh… do you have any Kirby games?**

**Me: I have Epic Yarn, so I guess that’s our winner.**

I booted up my Wii, and loaded in the disc, returning back to the snuggly sanctuary of my couch. I called Dan and had him on speakerphone for a bit while he was in the car to run some errands.


	5. Winging It

                _Two weeks later…_

                One of my friends asked me to be her wingwoman for the night, so I had found a nice spot at the bar and looked over at the table that she was sitting at with a guy who offered to buy her a drink.

                Laurie meant well and all, she had gone through a few flings and crazy hookups… it seemed like she was finally coming around on finding a life partner though. (She just went about it very interestingly, to me.) I had already finished a couple of drinks, and sat in the corner with my phone texting Danny.

**Me: I swear, I think this guy has the most well-manicured fingers I’ve ever seen**

**Danny: Pics or I don’t believe you**

**Danny: Why did you look at his hands? XD**

**Me: I shook his hand when Laurie introduced him… plus keeping an eye out for a wedding ring**

**Me: She’s had bad luck in the past.**

**Danny: Aahhhhhh ok**

**Danny: Geez, I can’t believe it’s going to be like another two weeks until I see you again**

**Me: I know…**

Not lying… it was pretty rough. Work caught up with both of us, and we hadn’t done a video call since the ex-boyfriend fiasco. I already put in for the time off and bought the plane tickets, but it felt like next week would never come. My phone vibrated, and I saw that it was from Laurie.

**Laurie: im in the bathroom, come to meeeeeee**

                I rolled my eyes, and told the bartender I’d be right back, and swiftly made my way to the tiny ladies’ bathroom. I saw Laurie pressed up against one of the stall doors, making out with a much taller woman.

                “Uhhh… hey Laurie, you good?” I asked.

                Both of them shifted their gaze to you.

                “Who’s this?” the stranger said to Laurie, but maintained eye contact with me. This woman was almost terrifyingly striking in appearance. Leather jacket and jeans, very bold makeup, and a section of her hair was buzzed short compared to the rest of her mane which fell beyond her shoulders.

                Laurie, bubbly as ever despite having several drinks in her. “Sorry, Heidi, this is Wren! She’s a friend from college…”

                “I make sure she goes home safe when she goes out… You good, Laur?” Laurie nodded. “All right… Heidi, here’s my phone number if anything happens, have a fun night, you two.” I handed Laurie my cell number on a post-it, which was a tradition I had started since Laurie started dragging me out on her hook-up hunts. I went back to the bar to pay my tab and grab my jacket.

                The guy who Laurie had been sitting with before was a few seats over, and he looked kind of down. “You okay?” I asked, not sure if it was the best idea, but he looked pretty down.

                He set his pint of beer down on the bar, “Yeah, my ex came over when I was talking with your friend… and…”

                Oops… shouldn’t have asked. “Oh… sorry… she’s like that. Take it easy…” I threw on my coat and ventured out into the cold, weirdly rainy January weather.  I didn’t get in until about one in the morning, all the while I texted Dan about the awkward bar situation. Once I got in, he was done filming some episodes and we decided to video chat for a bit.

                “Hey Danny!” I waved at my phone’s camera.

                “Heeeeey you’re home! Wooo!” Dan exclaimed as he walked through the Grump office.

                “I am! Look at that!” I giggled, throwing my stuff on the couch and struggling to remove my coat while still holding the phone up. “Ugh… I’m VERY done with today. I could totally fall asleep on the floor, right here.”

                “Nooooooooo don’t do that!” Dan chuckled, before flopping onto a massive bean bag. “Floors are not for sleeping unless you’re a broke college student visiting a friend.”

                “I guess I’ll sleep in my bed tonight… if I _have_ to…” a groaned jokingly. “So what am I bringing with me on this trip? I guess warm weather clothes and stuff, but what else?” I hung up my jacket, and set my phone upright against a large candle in my bedroom while I changed into PJ’s.

                “Ummm, probably a swim suit if we go to the beach… maybe a nice outfit for going out to dinner or something?” Dan said, and then called out to Arin, “Arin? What else are we doing when Wren comes?” I heard Arin yell something indistinguishable before Dan replied. “No, NO! What the fuck, man?”

                “What’d he say?” I asked, almost scared to get an answer.

                “Nothing, he’s just being a…”

                “I SAID ‘WE’RE LOCKING HER UP IN THE GRUMP OFFICE SO SHE CAN’T LEAVE EVER!” Arin said, standing much closer to Dan. I giggled, despite Dan’s face turning a bit red.

                “Dude…” Dan started.

                “So I gotta pack everything, right Arin?” I said.

                “Yes…” Arin said, sounding like a large, grumpy child. “You gotta come here and never leave, maybe then Daniel will stop talking about you all the time!”

                I heard Arin run off while Dan pouted on the bean bag chair. “Do you, really?” I asked.

                “No… at least I don’t think so…” I heard Arin yell “Yes you do” from off in the distance of the office. “ARIN, I SWEAR!”

                I chuckled very briefly, “It’s okay, Danny… to be fair, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I’m really pumped for this trip…”

                “Me too… oh, you’re gonna love it here!”

               

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers- been a while huh? I’ve been very busy, and super writing blocked in regards to my other story. I’ll gladly take comments, requests, ideas, anything! Even a scenario you want written out, please just send me a message! I love writing, but sometimes I need prompts.  
> Anyway, here’s a little thing I started while at work… haven’t done first person in a while.
> 
> Please leave kudos or comments if you like it, and I'll keep it going.


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